Mike and I began our day by heading over the hill into St. Helena to check out some wineries. After breakfast (and a brief stop into a boutique pet store so Mike could buy his dog Stevie an over-priced treat) we remembered we had a friend who owned a nearby vineyard. We hastily arranged a private tour of the sumptuous grounds and topped off the visit with a leisurely tasting of six of their top wines. What a treat!
We made it back into Middletown just in time for the Q&A following the 4pm screening. Again, we were greeted by an enthusiastic audience filled with friendly faces, some of whom were quite familiar -- including Isabella Mattina, the adorable young redhead who has an interesting on-screen encounter with James LeGros' Palmer. She was a terrific sport and joined us on stage for the Q&A.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)After signing a few autographs, (I know, huh?) we were whisked away by Karen to the Boar's Breath restaurant to dine with local reporter Elizabeth Larson of Lake County News. The two hour dinner was not only tasty and filled with great conversation, but will result in a feature article on the film.
The 8pm screening got off to a late start due to overcrowding (how cool is that!) so the Q&A started just before 10pm. Another great crowd. This audience was very eager to ask questions, which Mike and I enjoyed fielding.
Rob Brown, the county official who not only helped us with road closures but also served up an amazing Bison BBQ for the entire crew during the shoot, was there with his lovely wife and daughter. Missing was his son Jordan who had better things to do than see himself up on screen as an extra! Also in the audience was local realtor Rick White, who shared with us the above photo he took during the shoot, as well as our wonderful hosts, the McLaughlins, who invited us back to the main house for post-screening drinks.
After saying goodnight to everyone, we hopped into our rented Grand Prix and navigated the dark roads back to the compound. As we wended our way down the dirt roads towards our guest house, a large buck bolted in front of the car, startling both Mike and I. He was followed immediately by a young deer and, seconds later, a GIANT mountain lion! For some reason, I joined in the chase with my high beams on and soon watched the racing trio disappear into the woods. City boy Mike insisted we drive to the nearby main house, lest the mountain lion decide on a gamier meal -- a New York cut perhaps? As I inadvertently drove across the McLaughlin's lawn, we excitedly chattered on about our Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom experience. Inside, as we sipped wine and devoured cheeses, the other guests were somewhat nonplussed about our brush with death. Seems there is a lot of wildlife in Whispering Pines. Charlie and Linda were amazing hosts, and we greatly enjoyed meeting all their friends. As 1am approached, we reluctantly said our goodbyes and risked our lives racing back to the guest house before we being eaten. Ah, the glamorous lives of filmmakers.
Almost ten years ago I was fortunate enough to win Best Feature Film with RHAPSODY IN BLOOM at the Sedona Film Festival and am thrilled to be invited back to screen SHERMAN'S WAY as part of the festival's prestigious SECOND TUESDAY SERIES. We'll screen twice at the Harkins Sedona Six Theatres (at 4pm and 7pm) and both Mike and I will be on hand for Q&A after each screening. I absolutely love Sedona and its very art-oriented community. I'm bummed however that our cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo won't be able to join us (he's shooting a series for CBS in San Diego), especially in light of the fact he was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona -- just minutes away from Sedona. But I'll use the tie-in to feature an interview with Joaquin on this blog in the coming days. 
